Grandma caught 'assisting' inmate from mass escape: Cops
Share this @internewscast.com

Background: The opening within Orleans Justice Center from which 11 inmates allegedly fled in New Orleans, La., on May 16, 2025 (Law&Crime Network). Insets, clockwise from top: Inmates making their escape from the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans, La., on May 16, 2025 (Law&Crime Network); Jermaine Donald (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office); Connie Weeden (Louisiana State Police).

A Louisiana grandmother is incarcerated for allegedly “assisting” one of the inmates involved in the notorious toilet-hole jailbreak that occurred in New Orleans earlier this month. Authorities allege she sent money to a fugitive who is reportedly her grandson.

Connie Weeden, 59, of Slidell, faces a felony charge for allegedly being an accessory after the fact in relation to the escape of Jermaine Donald. He remains at large after absconding from the Orleans Justice Center on May 16 alongside nine other inmates, four of whom are also still on the run, according to a May 22 Louisiana State Police press release.

An investigation by state police revealed that Weeden was contacting Donald over the phone “before and after the escape,” according to police officials. Local NBC affiliate WDSU reports that Weeden is Donald’s grandmother.

“Investigators determined that after the escape Weeden provided cash to Donald via a cell phone app,” the LSP release said.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

As previously reported by Law&Crime, Donald and the other inmates managed to escape from the Orleans Justice Center — operated by the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office — after carving a hole out behind a toilet and crawling through it, police say. The remaining fugitives include Donald, 43; Derrick Groves, 28; Antoine Massey, 33; Leo Tate, 32; and Lenton Vanburen Jr., 27, according to LSP officials.

“As a result of the investigation, Weeden was located in Slidell and placed under arrest,” the May 22 release said. “She was charged with one felony count of LRS 14:25 – Accessories after the fact and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center.”

The inmates who have been located after allegedly escaping include Corey Boyd, 20; Kendall Myles, 21; Gary Price, 21; Dkenan Dennis, 24; and Robert Moody, 22.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Arrest Made for Child Pornography Involving Sex Offender

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An 84-year-old man named Robert Merril McBride…

Police Report: Mother Accused of Hitting 6-Year-Old with Hammer

Inset: Zeinab Abdi (Louisville Metro Detention Center). Background: The home where Abdi…

Police Report: Overwhelmed Father Causes Multiple Brain Hemorrhages in Infant

Inset: Gabriel King (Peoria State’s Attorney’s Office). Background: Bartonville County Police Dept.…

Court Allows Family to Claim Emotional Damages for Their Dog

Background: The Kings Supreme Court building in Brooklyn, N.Y. (Google Maps). Inset:…

Diddy’s Accused Drug Courier Testifies, Claims Main Accuser Wasn’t Coerced Into ‘Freak Offs’

One of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistants testified on Friday about getting…

WATCH: Florida Man Caught Swallowing $770K in Stolen Diamonds at Traffic Stop

Dashcam footage released recently captures police officers arresting a man in Florida…

Kentucky Mother Attacks 6-Year-Old Daughter With Hammer, Shouts to Son, ‘Let Me Finish Her!’

A 6-year-old girl from Kentucky is in critical condition, while her mother…

Ketanji Brown Jackson Concerned Over Supreme Court’s Pro-Fuel Decision

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, recognized as the first Black woman…

LATEST UPDATE: Suzanne Morphew’s Husband Rearrested in Murder Case

The husband of a missing Colorado woman who vanished in 2020 and…

Parents Accused in Starvation Death of 12-Year-Old, Police Report

Inset, top to bottom: Qwentosha Massaquoi and Louis Massaquoi (Lee County Sheriff).…

Florida Toddler Tragically Passes Away After Being Left in Hot Car While Father Visits Barbershop and Goes for a Drink

A Florida father was taken into custody this week, facing charges of…

Law&Crime’s Prime Crime Secures a Spot in Spotify’s Top 4 Charts

Share copy link Prime Crime with Jesse Weber (Law&Crime) The original docuseries…